Esteban Ocon, the French racing driver, has spoken glowingly about his recent transition to Haas Racing for the 2025 Formula 1 season, highlighting an exceptional level of preparation from his new team. This preparation, he admitted, significantly exceeded his expectations as he embarks on this new chapter of his career.
Previously with the Renault-owned Alpine team from 2020 until last season, Ocon made the switch to Haas, leaving the Anglo-French team with one race remaining. This decision enabled him to participate in the post-season test at Abu Dhabi using the Haas 2024 model, the VF-24, setting the stage for his integration with the team.
Ocon has recently expressed his satisfaction during interviews with Motorsport Week and other media outlets, sharing insights about how smoothly his transition to Haas has been.
"Yeah, there’s been. I’m not going to gointo details, but I was obviously thinkingthat we were going to be more restricted on my preparation, not being able to prepare as well as we did. And we’ve been able to get the needs and what I needed. So yeah, all fine," he remarked, illustrating his surprise with the team’s extensive preparation efforts.
Haas has been strategically employing the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) scheme, which permits teams to clock mileage on cars more than two seasons old. This approach allowed Haas to provide Ocon and his teammates significant practice time in the 2023 VF-23 at Jerez. It marked the team's inaugural TPC run, made possible through their new partnership with Toyota, which now provides technical support to Haas, the smallest outfit on the grid.
Ocon remarked on this partnership, stating he was unaware of it at the time of his signing. Nonetheless, the news has seemingly not affected his adaptation to the team, as he has navigated the transition exceptionally well.
Last month, Ocon conducted his first shakedown with Haas’ 2025 challenger, the VF-25, at Silverstone. Despite adverse weather conditions, he reported feeling positive improvements compared to his previous experience with the team. "Yeah, obviously very good to get a first feel...There are a lot of positive points...that arebetter than what Iremember..." noted Ocon after completing the shakedown.
Haas is determined to build on last year’s performance, which saw them rise to seventh place. The team had reached as high as sixth during the prior season with only two rounds remaining, sparking hopes for continued improvement.
Reflecting on the new season's prospects, Ocon expressed his satisfaction with the baseline of the VF-25 and observed areas ripe for enhancement. "It’s also been good to be working in real conditions with the team, with the traffic, with how it would run on a normal race weekend with all the tools etc.," he shared, indicating his excitement about the preparation and teamwork he is experiencing at Haas.
Ocon’s transition to Haas exemplifies the team’s commitment to providing their drivers with outstanding support as they look to gain traction on the tight Formula 1 grid. With the 2025 season on the horizon, all eyes are on Ocon and Haas as they aim to make substantial strides forward together.